Nonfiction Craft Lessons: Teaching
Information Writing K-8 by Ralph
Fletcher
Model Mini-Lessons For The Writing Workshop
Writing nonfiction represents a big step for most students. Most young
writers are not intimidated by personal narrative, fiction, or even poetry, but
when they try to put together a teaching book, report, or persuasive essay,
they often feel anxious and frustrated.
JoAnn Portalupi and Ralph Fletcher believe that young nonfiction writers
supply plenty of passion, keen interest, and wonder. Teachers can provide
concrete strategies to help students scaffold their ideas as they write in his
challenging genre.
Like the authors best-selling Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8, this
book is divided into sections for K-2, 3-4, and middle school (grades 5-8)
students. These divisions reflect various differences between emerging,

competent, and fluent writers. In each section youll find a generous
collection of craft lessons directed at the genre thats most appropriate for
that particular age. In the K-2 section, for example, a number of craft
lessons focus on the all-about or concept book. In the 3-4 section there are
several lessons on biography. In the 5-8 section a series of lessons
addresses expository writing. Throughout the book each of the 80 lessons
is presented on a single page in an easy-to-read format.
Every lesson features three teaching guidelines:Discussion--A brief look at
the reasons for teaching the particular element of craft specifically in a
nonfiction context.How to Teach It--Concrete language showing exactly
how a teacher might bring this craft element to students in writing
conferences or a small-group setting.Resource Material--Specific book or
text referred to in the craft lesson including trade books, or a piece of
student writing in the Appendixes.This book will help students breathe
voice into lifeless dump-truck writing and improve their nonfiction writing by
making it clearer, more authoritative, and more organized. Nonfiction Craft
Lessons gives teachers a wealth of practical strategies to help students
grow into strong writers as they explore and explain the world around
them.
Be sure to look at the When Students Write videotapes too.
Personal Review: Nonfiction Craft Lessons: Teaching
Information Writing K-8 by Ralph Fletcher
I'm a relatively new teacher, and have switched grade levels every year.
Teaching writing has been one of the biggest challenges for me. I believe
in a writing workshop model, and use a lot of 6 Traits ideas. I knew that
both relied on the idea of the writing "mini-lesson" but I really didn't know
what those should look like or what kinds of topics they should cover. This
book has been a godsend. I disagree with those who say that this book is
too rigid. Yes, each lesson identifies particular literature resources which
can be used. If you have that book, that's awesome. If not, just adapt the
lesson for use with a different book that illustrates the same concept. The
point is, these are concise 15 minute mini-lessons that really help your
students recognize writing craft, and give them accessible ideas which
they can use to improve their own writing.And, incidentally, if you're
building up your classroom library, your school library, or your bookroom,
the literature selections that ARE mentioned in this book are uniformly
fabulous. I carry a copy of the list of books used in these lessons each time
I go to a used book store.
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